Duolingo Plans Chess Course Launch for Beginners

Duolingo is launching a new chess course aimed at making the game accessible and enjoyable for learners at all skill levels, particularly beginners who may have found chess intimidating or difficult to learn. The course uses bite-sized puzzles, lessons on piece movement and tactics, and gamified exercises, allowing users to practice through mini-matches or full games against the in-app coach Oscar. This marks Duolingo's latest expansion beyond languages, joining recent subjects like music and math in its curriculum. The company emphasizes that most existing chess platforms cater to advanced players, whereas Duolingo’s approach targets newcomers by simplifying concepts and tracking user progress to adjust difficulty. The chess course is currently in beta testing on iOS in English, with plans to expand to Android and additional languages in the near future. Duolingo hopes to introduce chess to millions of new learners by making it as approachable as its other subjects.